The present invention relates to polyionic hydrogels. More particularly, the present invention relates to biocompatible supported polyionic hydrogels which can be used in medicine and biotechnology, and which can serve as a carrier for pharmaceutically-active compounds, or for reactive immobilized enzymes or cultured cells producing antibodies.
Supported hydrogel, as well as hydrogels which act as carriers, are well-known in the art. Thus, e.g., acrylamide-N,N.sup.1 -methylenebisacrylamide was polymerized in a porous ceramic tube to form a permselective membrane composite useful for separating organic solvents from their water mixtures, as described in Chemical Abstracts, Vol. 113, No. 26, Abstract No. 233075v. In WO 8807075 there is described an enzyme reactor system composed of an enzyme entrapment hydrogel layer coated on a support and an ultraporous thin film membrane diffusion barrier.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,654 there is described a hot or cold compress, comprising a layer of a substituted ureaurethane hydrogel material bonded to one side of a porous substrate, said hydrogel being formed from water, a polyol and a diisocyanate prepolymer. Similarly, in Japanese Patent 57119879, as abstracted in Chemical Abstracts, Vol. 98, No. 4, Abstract No. 1773j, there are described supported or self-supporting hydrogel polymer layers which were prepared using polymeric binders. For example, 2.0 kg ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer in 8.0 kg PhMe was stirred with 2.0 kg powdered SGP polymer, to give a dispersion which was diluted with PhMe to a viscosity of 5 p and coated on a polyamide non-woven fabric.
In contradistinction, however, to said prior art supported hydrogels, the present invention provides a supported polyionic hydrogel formed by the interaction between an anionic polysaccharide and a cationic polysaccharide while in contact with a cellulose or synthetic fibre or a mixture thereof, or with a natural or synthetic polymer of a combination thereof, to form a fiber, fabric, sheet, or other stable woven, non-woven, or knitted material having said polyionic hydrogel incorporated therein.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,892 to Rosevear, there is disclosed the application of a gel precursor which contains a biologically active material onto a support material, followed by a polymerization of the gel precursor to form a supported, biologically active, material-containing hydrogel. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,351 to Rosevear, et al., discloses the production of chemical compounds with immobilized plant cells.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,933 to Rha, et al., there is disclosed the encapsulation of an active material within a membrane formed by the reaction of an anionic polymer such as xanthan with a cationic polymer such as chitosan.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,747 to Moo-Young, et al., discloses the immobilization of a biologically active material within the pores of a fibrous chitosan-alginate matrix.
None of said patents, however, teaches or suggests the supported hydrogels of the present invention as defined and exemplified herein.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, said anionic polysaccharide is selected from xanthan, dicarboxystarch and dicarboxycellulose, and said cationic polysaccharide is chitosan.
Especially preferred is a supported polyionic hydrogel formed by the interaction between xanthan and chitosan.
As will be realized, the prior art hydrogels were first formed and then coated onto a supporting fabric or film, while in the present invention the hydrogel is itself formed while in contact with a cellulose or synthetic fibre or a mixture thereof, or while in contact with a natural or synthetic polymer or a combination thereof, to form a fiber, fabric, sheet, or other stable woven, non-woven, or knitted material having said polyionic hydrogel incorporated therein.
While the invention will now be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments in the following examples so that aspects thereof may be more fully understood and appreciated, it is not intended to limit the invention to these particular embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Thus, the following examples which include preferred embodiments will serve to illustrate the practice of this invention, it being understood that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of preferred embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of formulation procedures as well as of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention.